Railway-bedding



(No Model.)

H. L. GILLETTE. RAILWAY BEDDING.

No. 429,436. Patented June 3,1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. GILLETTE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,436, dated June. 3, 1890. Application filed February 2'7, 1890. Serial No. 342,009. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY L. GILLETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway- Bedding, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved railway-bedding, and has for its object to provide a firm and solid road-bed which is readily replaced or renewedwhen necessary and which is comparatively inexpensive.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a plan view of a portion of myimproved bedding. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section thereof in line w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a crosssection in line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a crosssection in line y y, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, showing the construction of the supports of the stringer-plates. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the support in line 2: .2, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross section in line 2 z, Fig. 1. Y

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A A represent the rails, which are of ordinary construction.

B represents metallic bed or stringer plates extending lengthwise of the rails and forming the immediate supports of the rails. An intervening space of about a foot is preferably left between every two plates on the same side of the road-bed, and the plates are preferably made about ten feet in length and considerably wider than the base of the rails, so as to have a broad bearing upon the ground or ballast. The stringer-plates on opposite sides of the road-bed are connected together in pairs by angle-bars or cross-stays b, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the ends of the plates on the under sides thereof. These stay-bars firmly connect together the plates of each pair and retain the same in their proper relative position parallel to each other. In the drawings the rails are, represented as being secured to the stringer-plates by clamping-plates c, which overlap the base of the rails; but they may be fastened in any other suitable manner. Each stringer-plate is provided centrally on its under side with a vertical longitudinal rib or flange d, which extends to the stay-bars b, as shown.

E represents vertical frames or supports sustaining the stringer-plates at intervals and which rest upon cross-ties or sleepers F, embedded in the ground, the supports'on opposite sides of the bed being located directly opposite each other and resting upon the crosstie. Each stringer-plate is preferably sustained by two of these supports arranged near opposite ends of the plates, as shown; but a greater number may be employed, if desired. These supports preferably consist of a triangular frame secured at its base to the embedded cross-tie and open at its upper end to form upwardly-converging legs, which grasp or embrace the longitudinal flanges cl of the stay-plates on opposite sides, as represented in Fig. 4. These legs are provided at their upper ends with outwardly-projecting horizontal lips or flanges g, which bear against the under side of the stringer-plates and are secured to the latter by clips or clamps h, which embrace the lips g with their crossbars, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4:. The legs of these clips, to which the screw-nuts are applied,preferably pass through the adjacent clamping-plates c of the rails, as represented in the drawings, so as to serve the double purpose of securing the lips of the triangular supporting-frames to the stringer-plates and fastening the rail-clamping plates 0 in place.

The intermediate clamping-plates of the rails,

located between the triangular supports, may be fastened to the stringer-plates by similar clips 0, as shown.

The legs of the triangular supports E are preferably provided with longitudinal flanges 1', which bear with their upper vertical edges against opposite sides of the longitudinal rib of the stringer-plates, as represented in Figs. 4 and 5. These flanges aid in firmly holding the rib of the stringer-plates between the legs of the triangular support and also serve to stiffen the support.

' The stringer-plates are preferably stiffened or re-enforced midway between their triangular supports byinclined braces j, which are secured at their upper ends to the under side of the stringer-plates and at their lower ends to opposite sides of the longitudinal flange of the stringer-plates, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

By my improved construction the stringerplates, in addition to the firm support afforded to the same by the embedded cross-ties and intermediatetriangular frames, are supported upon the ground or ballast, which latter is packed or rammed under the comparatively wide stringer-plates, thus providing a double support for the bed, which, while having considerable solidity, does not render the bed unduly rigid. The rail-joints should break joint with the spaces between the adjacent ends of the stringer-plates, being preferably located at or near the center of the plates, so that the pounding which is produced by the rolling of the load over the rails at the meeting ends of the rails will be distributed over the stringer-plates.

In ordinary road-beds having wooden crossties the joint between two rails is located upon a single tie, and the pounding upon the joints is received almost Wholly by the narrow tie, so that in course of time the tie becomes considerably depressed and the level of the line destroyed.

In my improved bed the pairs of stringerplates on opposite sides of the road-bed, together with the stay-bars and supports, each constitute a solid section of the road-bed, and by thus constructing the bed in sections the pounding at the rail-joints is received by a support of considerable area, which is not as likely to be depressed as the ordinary crosstie, thereby increasing the durability of the road-bed.

The construction of the bed in disconnected sections enables impaired sections tobe readily renewed or replaced without disturbing other sections, which is an importantfeature in case apart of the road-bed is impaired or destroyed by an accident.

In addition to these advantages my improved bed dispenses with a large number of cross-ties, as the embedded vertical supports of the bed, by reason of the presence of the stringer-plates, may be located at greater intervals than in ordinary bedding having wooden surface ties, thereby elfecting a considerable saving in ties.

The sections forming the road-bed are light and compact in construction, and while the first cost of the bed may be somewhat greater than that of the ordinary road-bed composed wholly of wooden cross-ties, this is fully compensated for by the increased solidity and durability of the bed and the facility with which it is replaced.

If desired, a layer of paper, wood, cloth, or other non-metallic material may be interposed between the base of the rails and the stringer-plates to deaden the noise caused by the passage of the rolling-stock over the rails.

I claim as my invention 1. A railway-bedding composed of disconnected sections, each consisting of a pair of stringer-plates arranged on opposite sides of the road-bed and connected together by staybars, vertical frames or supports sustaining the stringer-plates at intervals, and cross-ties supporting the vertical frames on opposite sides of the road-bed, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the stringer-plates provided on their under sides with a longitudinal rib or flange, of embedded cross-ties and intermediate supporting-frames resting upon the cross-ties, supporting the stringerplates at intervals, and provided with arms or legs which embrace the flanges of the stringer-plates, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the stringer-plate provided on its under sidewith a longitudinal rib or flange, of inclined braces connecting the stringer-plate and its rib, vertical supporting-frames sustaining the stringer-plate and provided with arms or legs which embrace the flange of the stringer-plate, and embedded cross-ties upon which said supporting-frames rest, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, with the stringer-plates provided on their under sides with a longitudinal rib or flange, of embedded cross-ties, intermediate supporting-frames sustaining 'the stringer-plates at intervals and having arms or legs embracing the flanges of the stringer-plates and provided with lips which rest against the under side of the stringerplates, and clips or fastenings whereby said lips are secured to the under side of the stringer-plates, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the rails, the stringer-plates, and the clamping-plates whereby the rails are secured to the stringerplates, of embedded cross-ties, intermediate vertical supports sustaining the stringerplates at intervals and having arms or legs provided with lips rest-ing against the under side of the stringer-plates, and clips embracing the lips of said supporting-frames, and serving at the same time to fasten the adjacent rail-clamping plates to the stringerplates, substantially as set forth.

\Vitness my hand this .Zlth day of February, 1890.

HARRY L. GILLETTE.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, ALICE G. CONNELLY. 

